Abbie Nye has had a packed 6 months of experience with the Galloway Fisheries Trust and is now leaving to take the next steps in her career in freshwater biology. The fully-paid, full-time internship was supported by the Galloway Glens and the Holywood Trust as part of their ongoing commitment to supporting the young people of the region.
Despite all of her internship being held under increasingly tough COVID restrictions, Abbie has learnt technical and work-place skills that will stand her in excellent stead for her chosen profession. Over the last 6 months, she has focussed on supporting the Black Water of Dee restoration project being funded by the Galloway Glens scheme, and has also created a teaching resource about the fascinating lifecycle of the European Eel for use in local primary schools. She has spent a lot of time in a salmon hatchery, learning the techniques for stripping salmon, caring for the eggs and stocking them back into local waters to help the recovery of fish stocks following acidification. The Galloway Fisheries Trust has a strong conservation and ecological bias to its work, and Abbie has been able to contribute to this through her work.
The internship was funded by the Holywood Trust and the Galloway Glens scheme, as part of their support for young people in the area. With young people having been so badly affected by COVID, these internships are designed to be a solution to the conundrum that ‘you can’t have a job because you haven’t got the experience, but you can’t get experience because you can’t get a job’.
Abbie leaves the Galloway Fisheries Trust with an outdoor First Aid qualification, her drone flying licence and an improved knowledge of electrofishing and surveying techniques – really concrete additions to her CV, in addition to her research, educational and practical work experiences.
She is most keen to continue her career in this area, and despite the challenging context that young people in particular find themselves in just now, she is optimistic about the future. She said:
“My time at GFT has been an incredible opportunity for me to expand my skills and develop excellent experience in the field of fisheries biology. I have no doubt that the expertise I have gained will greatly enhance my CV and support my future career in the field. I would like to thank GFT for providing me with such fantastic training and guidance, and the Galloway Glens and the Holywood trust for their support of this internship.”
Jamie Ribbens, Senior Biologist at the Galloway Fisheries Trust said:
“We have been delighted to have Abbie working with us for the last 6 months. She has enthusiastically assisted our Biologists on various important projects while also completing some exciting projects of her own. I am sure she will have a great career in the fisheries sector.”
Helen Keron, Education and Community Engagement Officer for the Galloway Glens, added:
“Time has absolutely flown by, and I can’t believe how much experience Abbie and the Galloway Fisheries Trust have managed to pack into her 6-month placement. This is exactly what we’re hoping to achieve through our programme of supported internships, and we wish Abbie all the very best for her future career, which I’m quite sure will continue to go from strength to strength.”
The Holywood Trust said:
“This was a great opportunity for Abbie as a graduate to expand her skills and knowledge and it is great to hear how beneficial the experience has been. Through the internship Abbie has been able to share her knowledge with young people, although because of covid not face to face on this occasion, and to show another potential career path within the region – that young people can go away, do their studies and then come back to the area to work.”
The Galloway Fisheries Trust also has support from the Holywood Trust and the Galloway Glens for a second fully-paid full-time 6-month internship. This will start in Spring 2021, and will be advertised widely when it opens.
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The Galloway Fisheries Trust is a charitable trust whose aims are to restore and maintain aquatic biodiversity, particularly native fish, in Galloway by means of practical, responsible and sustainable approaches to land, water and fishery management, based on sound science, for the benefit of the community as a whole. Welcome to Galloway Fisheries Trust
The Galloway Glens is a 5-year suite of projects aimed at connecting people with their heritage ad supporting sustainable, thriving communities. It is core-funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported by a range of partners including Dumfries and Galloway Council. www.gallowayglens.org.
The Holywood Trust is a charitable organisation which aims to help young people in Dumfries and Galloway. It gives grants to individuals and organisations, creating opportunities for young people in the region. www.holywood-trust.org.uk
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